Cisco this week at Interop 2012 released an API for its branch routers designed to enable third-party developers to write applications to enhance the security of phone calls over the router network.

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Cisco this week at Interop 2012 released an API for its branch routers designed to enable third-party developers to write applications to enhance the security of phone calls over the router network.

The Cisco UC Gateway Services API is a Web-based programming interface that allows customers and developers access to call information over a Cisco ISR G2 router at the edge of a voice network, such as signaling and media. This information can be used to detect and help prevent malicious activity such as social engineering and identity theft scams, contact center account takeover fraud, unauthorised network and service use, and denial-of-service attacks.

Applications written to the API can then apply appropriate action to terminate, redirect or record the call.

To date, SecureLogix has written its voice policy and security applications to the Cisco UC Gateway Services API, and British Telecoms (BT) is using it and the SecureLogix applications in its BT Assure Cloud Security service. This service heretofore has been focused predominantly on data security services but now BT customers can add voice security to it and access all of the information on a single dashboard interface, Cisco says.

The SecureLogix application is hosted on Cisco's UCS Express server blade in the ISR. UCS Express is not required for the API, however; that's included in the Cisco IOS software on the router, Cisco says. Applications written to it though run on UCS Express or can be access via the cloud.

The router also includes Cisco's Unified Border Element for SIP trunks and Cisco TDM Gateways for TDM trunks, both of which provide voice connectivity to the service provider.

The API can also be use for non-security-related applications, Cisco says. Companies can use it to ensure regulatory compliance through its call recording or to collect volumes, duration and related details for business operations.

Cisco says it is using it to dynamically select and record specific calls collected by its MediaSense media data capture and storage application for quality monitoring purposes in contact centers.